For some people, drinking just a can of
soda or a bottle of lemonade can lead to abdominal cramping, bloating,
pain, and diarrhea. It's not the temperature or the flavor. It's the
fructose -- a sweetener found in many drinks and foods -- that some people
can't digest properly, especially on an empty stomach. If a sweet treat
leaves you with sour regret, check the label -- fructose may be the
culprit.

Why does fructose cause abdominal distress?
Sweet foods and beverages that contain fructose as the main sugar can
speed through the digestive tract too quickly to be thoroughly digested.
What isn't absorbed ends up in the colon, feasted upon by bacteria, which
produces excessive acid and gas and may lead to diarrhea.

Fructose intake has increased considerably
in the United States, primarily as a result of increased consumption of
high-fructose corn syrup and crystalline fructose. The purpose was to
determine how often fructose, in amounts commonly consumed, would result
in malabsorption and/or symptoms in healthy persons.

In fact, more than half of the participants in a recent study exhibited
symptoms of malabsorption after drinking fructose in amounts equal to the
regular intake of many Americans. Participants reported having gas and
diarrhea, and breath tests revealed excess hydrogen, a factor in
gassiness.

More than half of the adults tested showed
evidence of fructose malabsorption after 25 grams fructose and greater than
two thirds showed malabsorption after 50 grams fructose. A single 12-ounce
can of soda has 39 grams fructose, or as much as 13 teaspoons of sugar in
the form of high fructose corn syrup.

Because the amount of soda we drink has
more than doubled since 1970 to about 56 gallons per person a year (1 1/2
- 12 oz cans per day), so has the amount of high fructose corn syrup we
take in. In 2001, we consumed almost 63 pounds of it, according to the
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Consider Stevia
as a 0 calorie, 0 glycemic, 0 fructose natural sweetener alternative.

Source: Beyer, P. L., Caviar, E. M.,
McCallum, R.W., Fructose intake at current levels in the United States may
cause gastrointestinal distress in normal adults. Journal of the
American Dietetic Association 2005 Oct;105(10):1559-1566.

These statements have not
been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Please consult a qualified medical practitioner for medical advice.